Climate Change in the Baltic Sea Region

Led by the GKSS Research Centre in Geesthacht, an international consortium is compiling and evaluating all the data collected to date about climate change in the Baltic Sea region. The Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) has used these extensive findings as the basis of its own report, which includes recommendations for action.

BACC Report

According to the findings, the warming observed in the Baltic Sea region is roughly in line with the global temperature increase. In addition to affecting precipitation and the extent of ice cover in lakes, rivers and the Baltic Sea, climate change has also impacted marine and terrestrial ecosystems. It is expected that climate change and the related effects will intensify in the Baltic Sea region in the future.

The BACC (Baltex Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin) project is being coordinated by the BALTEX (Baltic Sea Experiment) office at the GKSS Research Centre in Geesthacht. The results of the BACC project are currently being prepared for publication as a book that is scheduled to appear at the end of this year. The Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM for short, is an intergovernmental organization for the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea. It is based in Helsinki and sponsored by the EU and the governments of the countries bordering the Baltic Sea, for whom it draws up recommendations for political action.
Download of the BACC book